Queen of the Dark
by A N Llewellyn
Summary: A long lost love story begging to be told. Companion piece to SONATA OF THE SPELLBOUND, which is Granger&Snape.


Disclaimer: The characters that you will recognize in this piece do not and have not ever belonged to me. They are property of the wonderful and "magically" talented J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. In writing this story, I do not intend to take any of the credit for her beautifully developed characters. Only the twisting tale is mine, as well as the characters of my own.

IMPORTANT: This story is the companion piece to a much longer fic of mine, "Sonata of the Spellbound". I strongly encourage you to read it as the occurrences in this story run parallel to the plot of "Sonata". At the very least read Chapter 14.

I understand that this is a very unconventional pairing, and it came alive after I began writing such an in depth HG/SS story. I suppose it was also inspired greatly by the gorgeous actor Pedja Bjelac, who portrayed Karkaroff in the HP4 film. This story portrays a much younger Igor Karkaroff. If you want to further understand where I'm coming from, find a picture of Pedja from one of his earlier films. That said... 

These two lovers just _had_ to have a story of their own…

So here it is.

**QUEEN OF THE DARK  
The Lost Love Story  
ONE**

_Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of withering, of tarnishing._

Anais Nin

"He was not the same when he returned.

…No.

He was the not the man I remembered – the man I knew.

His eyes were cold and bitter like his voice. A voice that today lacks even an ember of warmth. The dark hair that once framed his face in wisps of ochre brown hangs loose and limp like ocean weed. And all those years he did this… He hid it from me.

I should have seen through it. I was so stupid…"

There was a pause.

"You are not stupid, my dear. Do not think that way."

Another pause before she began again.

"I remember it was the sea that had brought him to me.

The shores of Sardinia had never seen a more handsome wizard. It was a fantasy I had believed would never die, simply put. He was my dream… my love… my life.

Now he looks at me as if we're strangers. I don't believe he loves me anymore."

Ani Parajanov gave in to tears and took the handkerchief that Albus Dumbledore readily offered. She set her tea on the saucer lest her hands became more wobbly than they already were.

"Miss Parajanov, I do not believe that." Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am certain that he loves you beyond words. He is a good friend of mine." He smiled, eyes twinkling. "He has only lost his way… as many have." Dumbledore sighed and dropped his eyes in remembrance of Severus Snape's return to the light – an incident most of the staff had yet to see past, after nearly a year.

"But that is why you are here, my dear." Dumbledore patted her arm gently. "To help him through this trial."

Ani sighed and blotted the remainder of her tears with the corner of the violet kerchief.

"But what if they don't believe me?" She held back another sob. "What if they don't listen?... Will Hoffman is one of the worst on the board and he has an extra vote. The Wizengamot will be biased with that advantage, I know they will. Remember what happened with Severus' case?"

Dumbledore frowned.

"Well no one said it would be easy," he replied. "Yet your Uncle Severus is now safely pardoned. He was much more active with the Death Eaters than your fiancé… Try not to fret."

"I am. I'm trying to be strong." She sniffed and regained her composure. "I love him and that is what matters the most."

……………………………………

**Eleven years earlier.**

"Ani," he whispered against her forehead, his breath tickling the ebony hair that fell across her brow. "Let us go away from this place, my love. Kiev will not miss us."

Ani Parajanov lifted her small finger to his cheek, tracing the lines of his face, the severe curve of his jaw, smiling as she did. He was beautiful.

"Sweep me off my feet, prince." A throaty Parajanov voice, one with such mystery. Her sparkling indigo eyes pierced the surface of his gaze. His slate grey irises needed no more attention to their depths, for they could swallow a girl like Ani whole.

An early autumn flurry picked up on the cold wind surrounding them. The wool of their cloaks danced in time with the swirling gusts. Their breath spun clouds into the air and Ani watched intently as a snowflake fixed itself on her lover's nose.

Durmstrang Institute of Magic loomed in the distance, black as a raven's wing against a greying late evening sky.

"Mmm," Ani hummed. Her nose had picked up the spicy scent of her professor. Cedar and sandalwood, dry earth and withered rose petals. It smelled quite like his laboratory. All except for the hint of vanilla she tasted every time she grazed his lips. He had such a signature taste.

"My students have this evening off, my dear," he purred, his accent thick on the frigid air. "Midterm exams… will give them… some time to study." His hand drew circles round her shoulder blades, coaxing deep-rooted sighs from her lips. His fingers laced their elegant way through wavy onyx hair, releasing the clip that held it in place, fanning it along the mocha skin of her collarbone. She sighed.

"They will probably… think you've gone mad." Every word was a plea for him to touch her. "Professor Karkaroff giving them the evening off."

A growl escaped his mouth, raw and savage. He plunged his tongue into the hollow of her neck and raked her hair back with his fist. His breath was molten on her skin until the trail of his tongue caught the chill of the air. The jolt made her tingle and shiver with delight.

"Yes, love. And they would never in a thousand years imagine the sort of things I do to you when no one's watching."

The darkness of his words aroused her even more than she expected. Every time they spoke of making love it was as if it was the first time they'd done so – the first time he'd ravaged her on a dark afternoon, in some shadowy classroom, between lessons.

"I'm glad I dropped Alchemy," she whispered against his lips.

He leaned away and raised both eyebrows in surprise.

"And why is that, my lady?" he asked innocently.

"Because I don't believe I would have the will power to sit through one of your lessons." She laughed a sexy little laugh. "Resisting the urge to throw myself at you… even with all my friends watching… would be quite difficult."

It was his turn to sigh. He was as aroused as she, grinding his hips into hers, tendrils of his deep brown hair snaking their way across her face.

"Take me to your rooms, Igor," she said wickedly.

…………………………………

"You realize they will question you in great detail?" Dumbledore asked when he returned to the lounge after feeding Fawkes. "Things will become personal, I'm afraid. They have no shame when it comes to these things."

Ani nodded. "Yes, I know."

"Then I feel we are ready for tomorrow," Dumbledore said. "Severus has some things to go over with you as well. He's meeting us at Café Soleil in an hour." Ani looked confused. "Hogsmeade, my dear. You remember the new restaurant? Severus reserved us a table last night when he realized you'd be in town. Having you as a new family member has done some good for him, you know. He is always so sour these days."

"Is he?" Ani asked, relieved to be laughing a little. "You'd never know it. He's usually so charming to be around." She narrowed her eyes. "Then again, I only just met him at the wedding."

"Sylvia Snape was such a wonderful match for your Uncle Vartan, my dear. Of course, you're probably quite tired of hearing that as it is the discussion of most of the world right now." Dumbledore detangled his beard with his fingertips.

"Well, Sir, it's not every day that a prince marries a common girl… People like fairy tales." Ani chuckled and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. She placed the handkerchief on the coffee table. "I should probably freshen up if we're going out."

"Oh yes, I'll floo Minerva."

"Sir?" she asked abruptly, remembering a fragment of their earlier conversation.

The old wizard turned.

"You never finished telling me about Harry Potter. Is he somewhere safe now?"

Dumbledore smiled sweetly; the twinkle in his eye returned with conviction.

"I assure you that he is in good care."

Fawkes chirped and ruffled his fiery feathers.

"My uncle's royal marriage was fortunate to take emphasis off such a tragic story. At least the papers are less depressing to read. The Potters are legends now."

Dumbledore's eyes watered a little. Ani's dark skin picked up the red glow of the fireplace. The contours of her face in the dramatic light made her look so young to him. Even at twenty nine she was the young Chaser he remembered from the Durmstrang Quidditch games.

"And so is baby Harry," he said.

There was a moment of silence as Ani turned and smoothed the pleats of her skirt. Fawkes hummed a little and it sounded like a harp scale.

"I suppose we'll meet at the entrance at half past seven?" Ani said when she glanced at the humongous grandfather clock in the upper level of Dumbledore's office.

He nodded with a wink and she smiled genuinely.

"Thank you for everything, I feel much better now."

…………………………………

**Author's Note**

To my readers –

As explained earlier, this story is the companion piece to a much longer fic of mine, "Sonata of the Spellbound" (HG/SS). "Queen of the Dark" may be read alone but will make much more sense with the background information of Ani and her younger cousin, Yeva. I strongly encourage you to read "Sonata", but if HG/SS is just not your cup of tea, then Chapter 14: "For Once, Then Something" contains all the information needed to understand Ani Parajanov's back story. That said, happy reading and I look forward to your reviews.

A N Llewellyn


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